Investigation on maneuverability of a twin-screw ship driven by one screw

It is possible for a twin-screw ship that one screw failure occurs during navigation, and the maneuverability in this case should be noticed by ship designers and operators. It is of great significance to evaluate the related risk. Firstly, a mathematical model for the twin-screw ship maneuvering motion with one failed screw is developed based on the maneuvering model group (MMG) equations, and verified by the model test results. Secondly, the maneuvering motions of a twin-screw liquefied natural gas (LNG) ship with one free rotating failure screw or with one locked failure screw are simulated and compared by using the mathematical model. It is shown that the numerical modeling results are in agreement with the model test results. Compared with those of normal navigation, the port turning ability of the ship with one failed port screw is better, but the starboard turning ability and yaw checking ability become worse. The maneuverability of the ship with locked failure screw is better than that with free failure screw, although the ship speed drops obviously.     

Warship spare parts configuration optimization for stock control: Investigating the gap between qualitative and quantitative constraints

This paper investigates the gap between qualitative and quantitative constraints in spare parts stock control, with specific reference to warship spare parts support projects. A critical literature review of theoretical contributions about qualitative or quantitative factors for warship spare parts warehouse management is firstly provided, which allows to analyze the reasons for this qualitative-quantitative gap by addressing the limitations of spare parts models developed in the literature. Therefore a model including cloud model, marginal analysis and Lagrange multiplier method (CML) for study is proposed in this paper to bridge the gap. The model is used to solve the mix-constraints (both qualitative and quantitative constraints are considered) problem in a logic decision diagram particularly at the different decision nodes of the diagram. Finally, verifying test results show that the algorithm is feasible and its optimal support project meets the needs of engineering practices.     

Theoretical analysis of Er<Superscript>3+</Superscript>-doped telluride glass fiber amplifier for 2.700 μm laser amplification

The rate equations and power evolution equations of erbium-doped telluride glass fiber amplifier for both 1.530 and 2.700 μm lasers are solved numerically, the dependences of gain spectra on fiber length, dopant concentration and pump power are analyzed, and the gain of 2.700 μm laser is calculated and compared with the experimental result from reference. The numerical analysis shows that with 8 × 10²⁴ ion/m³ erbium ion concentration, 5m fiber length and 600mW pump power, the gains at 1.530 and 2.700 μm may achieve 23dB or so. With larger power pump and higher dopant concentration, a net gain of 17 dB is obtained from the Er³⁺-doped telluride glass fiber amplifier for 110mW input signal. This fiber amplifier is promising for both 1.530 μm signal amplification and 2.700 μm laser amplification.     

A new fractal model of elastic,elastoplastic and plastic normal contact stiffness for slow sliding interface considering dynamic friction and strain hardening

The deflection properties of elastic stage, elastoplastic stage and plastic stage of elastomer were analyzed. Taking account of the kinetic friction force in friction interface and strain hardening in slow sliding interface, the elastic, elastoplastic and plastic normal contact stiffness model for harsh surface was established, which revised the Majumdar-Bhushan fractal model and made it more perfect. In the combination of macro and micro perspective, the effects of coarse surface fractal variables, kinetic friction force in the friction interface, material characters of the friction couples on the contact status and contact property were discussed by the study of digital analysis. Results imply that the normal contact stiffness improves with the increasing real contact area and normal contact load, and reduces with the augment of kinetic friction coefficient. When the kinetic friction coefficient is smaller than 0.3, the normal contact stiffness comprises a linear decrease with the increment of kinetic friction coefficient. When the kinetic friction coefficient is bigger than 0.3, the normal contact stiffness has an exponential decrease with the increasing kinetic friction coefficient.     

Substructuring technique for dynamics analysis of flexible beams with large deformation

In this paper, the substructuring technique is extended for the dynamics simulation of flexible beams with large deformation. The dynamics equation of a spatial straight beam undergoing large displacement and small deformation is deduced by using the Jourdain variation principle and the model synthesis method. The longitudinal shortening effect due to the transversal deformation is taken into consideration in the dynamics equation. In this way, the geometric stiffening effect, which is also called stress stiffening effect, is accounted for in the dynamics equation. The transfer equation of the flexible beam is obtained by assembling the dynamics equation and the kinematic relationship between the two connection points of the flexible beam. Treating a flexible beam with small deformation as a substructure, one can solve the dynamics of a flexible beam with large deformation by using the substructuring technique and the transfer matrix method. The dynamics simulation of a flexible beam with large deformation is carried out by using the proposed approach and the results are verified by comparing with those obtained from Abaqus software.     

Minimum resistance ship hull uncertainty optimization design based on simulation-based design method

In the ship hull optimization design based on simulation-based design (SBD) technology, low precision of the approximate model leads to an uncertainty form of optimization model. In order to enable the approximate model with finite precision to maximize the effectiveness, uncertainty optimization method is introduced here. Wave resistance coefficient approximation model, built by back propagation (BP) neural network, is represented as a form of interval. Afterwards, a minimum resistance optimization model is established with the design space constituted by principal dimensions and ship form coefficients. Double-level nested optimization architecture is proposed: for outer layer, improved particle swarm optimization (IPSO) algorithm with learning factor improvement strategy is used to generate design variables, and for inner layer, modified very fast simulated annealing (MVFSA) algorithm is used to solve the objective function interval with uncertainty region. Cases calculation proves the effectiveness and superiority of uncertainty optimization method for ship hull SBD optimization design, thus providing a good way for finding optimal designs.     

The development of studying flexible pipe bend reinforced by Kevlar fibers

The flexible pipe bend can not only reduce the structural vibration and fluid noise in pipeline, but also realize the flexible connection of a horizontal line and a vertical line and compensate the displacement of three dimensions produced by the shock or vibration of pipeline in the special situations. Up to now, little attention has been paid to study the flexible pipe bend applied in the pipeline of medium or high pressure, because no appropriate framework materials can be used to reinforce it which must endure the burst pressure higher than 10 MPa. The investigation shows that it is possible to produce the flexible pipe bend of medium or high pressure if such fibers with high performance as Kevlar fibers are used to be its reinforced materials. However, its structural designing theory, manufacturing technology and measuring techniques aren‘t yet perfect and systematic, which leads to the instability of the performance of products. Furthermore, few references about its research can be seen. Therefore, it is necessary to systematically and thoroughly develop the structural designing theory, manufacture technology and measuring techniques of flexible pipe bend.     

A new model for soil consolidation based on microstructure

This paper introduces a new means to predict consolidation deformation of soil from its microstructure. Based on a kind of pore-size distribution density function, a fractal model for soil consolidation is established. Through this model, the relation between macroscopic deformation and microcosmic pore property of soil is founded. In order to justify this proposed model for soil consolidation, consolidation experiments of soft clay are performed. Afterward, the microstructure of soft clay unconsolidated and consolidated under every pressure is studied by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results show that the proposed model for soil consolidation is valid in predicting consolidation deformation.     

Numerical simulation of non-destructive testing of stainless steel composites plate by infrared thermography

The non-destructive testing (NDT) of debonding in stainless steel composites plate (SSCP) is performed by infrared thermography, finite element analysis (FEA) software ANSYS is taken as the simulative tool, and 2D simulative model has been set up to investigate effect of the thickness of coating and/or substrate on the detectibility of debonging in SSCPs. Two parameters, namely the maximum defect temperature difference and defect appearing index, are defined to evaluate the detectivity of defects, and their computational methods and formulas are given respectively. The preliminary changing tendency of the maximum defect temperature difference and defect appearing index with the thickness of coating and/or substrate is found by numerical simulation.     

A Theoretical Model on Solvus Line Prediction of Film and Its Application in Nanogranular Al-Cu System

A theoretical model on the solvus line prediction of a film was proposed and applied to a nanogranular Al-Cu system. The calculation results show that the solvus line of solute Cu will markedly lower with the decrease of grain size, namely, the starting temperature of θ(Al_2Cu) precipitation in a nanogranular Al-Cu film will markedly lower than that of conventional coarse grain alloy with the same Cu concentration, and the precipitation temperatures calculated are comparable with the experimental ones. The theoretical model can be simply used to calculate the starting temperature of precipitation in Al-Cu films under three states: ① films with substrate; ② films without substrate; ③ ultrafine grain bulk alloy. As a result, the model is universal, moreover, can be, in principle, used to predict precipitation temperature in other systems.